"The president and vice-president can legally participate in campaign and fundraising events for candidates. But when they do so, the taxpayer bears most of the cost," the report says.

The report analyzed operating costs of Air Force One and Air Force Two flights, figuring that in 2002 dollars the vice-president's plane cost $14,552 per hour to fly. The report does not address staff costs, security, food and other expenses.

Cheney flew in Monday from Washington for the Scalise event, then to Baton Rouge to help GOP candidate Bill Cassidy in the 6th District and back to Washington. At an estimated six hours total travel time, that comes to $87,312.

It's not clear how the Harlan campaign came up with a half-million dollars.

The Waxman report estimated that candidates reimburse the government for only about 6 percent of the costs of the vice-president's campaign work. That covers the cost of commerical airfare for the vice president and accompanying staff.

But Cheney spokeswoman Megan Mitchell disputed that assertion, saying political committees -- not the public -- pay the full tab.

"The bottom line is, taxpayers don't pay for the political cost," Mitchell said.

She referred questions about Scalise campaign reimbursements to the Scalise campaign. A Scalise spokesman didn't address the question directly, instead saying, it's "hypocritical for Jim Harlan to lecture anyone on fiscal responsibility because as a Barack Obama delegate and financial backer, he clearly supports Obama's proposal for nearly $1 trillion in new spending."

Cheney arrived at Louis Armstrong International Airport on Monday about 10:45 a.m., rode in a limousine to Arnaud's restaurant in the French Quarter and spoke to a crowd of about 150 Scalise backers. He returned to the airport about two hours later for the flight to Baton Rouge.
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NEW MATH: The subject line on Saturday night's e-mail from the victor in the 1st Congressional District's Democratic Party primary was "Jim Harlan Wins More Votes Than Scalise."

Harlan's primary opponent was actually Vinny Mendoza, whom he trounced with 73 prtvrny of the vote. Harlan doesn't face Scalise, the Republican incumbent, until the Nov. 4 general election.

The point that the Harlan campaign was trying to make is that Scalise doesn't have as strong a base in the 1st District, because Harlan captured more votes in the Democratic primary than Scalise garnered when he won the seat in a specially called general election last spring over Democrat Gilda Reed and two other candidates.

The numbers speak for themselves: Harlan received 37,880 votes on Saturday, and Scalise received 33,867 on May 3.

But the conclusion is a specious one, said Shreveport-based pollster Elliot Stonecipher.

"I give them an A for creativity. I've never heard that one before," said Stonecipher, who is not working for either campaign.

He said it's impossible to make declarations on a candidates' popularity based on votes cast in two different elections.

"Each election day has its own dynamic based on the cumulation of elections that are on that ballot," he said.

Saturday's ballot, full of local elections, was much different than the May special election, when the congressional race to complete the term that Bobby Jindal abandoned upon becoming governor was the only thing on the ballot in the 1st District.

And Nov. 4 is another story altogether, as it will include the presidential race as well as the congressional election.
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Mary Sparacello can be reached at msparacello@timespicayune.com or 504.467.1726.